Growth of the Visual Web, Led by Pinterest & Instagram

Websites like Pinterest, Instagram and Flickr have shown that users are looking for a more visual web experience when it comes to curating content online. Here’s a dramatic example. Consider the well-known website Reddit. Then consider that their image hosting site Imgur gets more than three times the traffic of the main site. It’s also in the top 30 most trafficked websites in the US.

Besides being more interesting and easier to consume, the growth of the visual web can be attributed to the growth in smartphones and the rise of mobile. We’re no longer tied to our desktop or laptops; we use our phones and tablets. A majority (58%) of people who have phones have a smartphone. Rather than using a camera, we’re taking pictures with our phones and instantly sharing them on social networks.

In 2011, 44% of photos in the US were taken with “single purpose cameras” and 27% were taken with smartphones. The year before, in 2010, only 17% of photos were taken with smartphones. That number will only continue to grow. For businesses, it’s time to illustrate your brand and plan how to use visual marketing in your social media strategy.

This infographic, The Growth of the Social Web, looks at the trend and runs the numbers. Source: On.com – an online picture sharing network to help people find and connect with people in their local area.